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Silencing stress

Monday, April 23rd, 2012, 9:00pm EDT

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The end of the school year often means little sleep, lots of studying, multiple exams and final projects–stress!–for many students. Not to mention the pressure of trying to line up employment once classes get out! Give us one hour of your time and we’ll give you some ideas that will help you tackle the end of the school year with confidence and calm.

Since graduating from college with a degree in math and music, Jessica Hays has worked as a teacher in Chicago and a financial analyst at The Mother Church. Throughout the past four years in Boston, she has also taken graduate level classes, tutored math at a local charter school, served on the governing board of an elementary school, taught Sunday School, and performed with musician Alex Cook throughout the country. Jessica is passionate about all aspects of education. This year, she applied and was accepted to two Ivy League graduate schools to study Education Policy. But first, in order to deepen her understanding of the issues facing schools today (and to hang out with some cool kids), she’ll be returning this summer to her native Texas to teach high school math through Teach For America. After completing her 2-year teaching assignment, she hopes to return to graduate school – or wherever God leads next!

Cory Johnson is a student at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He enjoys working with the chaplain’s office at his school and getting to know other faith groups on campus. The CSO has provided him with the support he’s needed to share Christian Science with his community. Last year the Northwestern CSO hosted an interfaith panel on prayer as well as a lecture on Mary Baker Eddy and her role as a woman religious leader. So he’s very aware of the variety of opportunities available to established CSOs.

Evan Mehlenbacher received a BA in economics from Stanford University and then he joined the family business, a large farming venture in Washington State that included apple, plum, and cherry orchards. Along with the daily challenges of operating a business, Evan was on a spiritual pursuit for answers to such questions as, “What makes life worth living? How can I be of help to others?” A highlight for Evan was seeing the effect of prayer at work in his daily life — in resolving conflict among personnel on the ranch, learning how to run a business successfully, overcoming health challenges, and helping others. Five years into the family business, he married, made a career change, and began the full-time practice of Christian Science healing. Today Evan travels to share a spiritual perspective with audiences that helps them find better health, live a happier life, and improve the world they live in.

Ariana Herlinger is on the management team at TMC Youth. She lived in West Africa for three years where she worked for the Peace Corps. For the past five years she’s been working with college students and church communities around the world. She recently completed an MBA program with a focus on business development in Africa, all while not skipping a beat on the job.

How do we know if an idea comes from God rather than mortal mind? Sometimes I’ve had ideas that seem like the best thing at the time, but then those decisions have seemed to backfire. Is there a sure way to tell if God is leading you?

Cultivating the talent of listening. Listening Listening and Listening. Some thoughts that come to us are obviously outside the realm of God — drinking, promiscuity, taking drugs, crime. Asking ourselves questions like what will I be expressing if I do this activity? Does it adulterate Christian Science? Would God really do that? Then stop and remember that you are learning. What did you learn from these experiences that seemed to have backfired? How can these experiences be redeemed? How does God lead? The story of Joseph is in this week’s Lesson. Someone who didn’t seem to have control of his life and was put in places that don’t seem like they came from God. Yet God was still there to help and get Joseph to the right place with the right talents.
In the new Testament the kings were told by Herod to follow the star, but they didn’t go back and report to Herod. What’s influencing you?

One thing I’ve used, is that as long as you ask “is this from God”, as long as you question and wonder, it’s more than likely not. It’s the paradox to trust – that you know it’s from God when you truly just know…and there’s no more questioning and no more wondering, you just know (which is gained through listening like gemariah says)

The two responses I have read are great. I’ve also found no matter what we do, we are never separated from God, Love. When I’ve come to a decision through prayer, maybe over a long time, and down the road, it looks not as promising as originally, it’s because my perspective has changed. At first I felt I must have misread what God told me and it was wrong, but then I thought of Eddy’s definition of man as composed of all right ideas and I knew the sincerity of my heart was in prayer and the desire to follow God was true. I have come to the conclusion, the sincerity, honesty, and right desires outweigh the human condition or situation that was right then but no longer fits due to mainly my growing spiritually. This moves me towards other goals and peoples and conditions better fitted for my newfound discoveries of who I am. Don’t be afraid of mistakes or wrong decisions. Be in tune to the sincerity, honesty, and genuineness of your heart with God and out of your decisions beautiful and good things will happen even among some thorns. Knowing there is only ONE voice moving me keeps me pointed in the right direction with the assurance I’m always planted in my perfect place knowing for sure God transplants me when needed.